Prime Minister Tony Blair has publicly pledged his "complete support" for Micah Challenge's aims to alleviate global poverty, thanks to the
determination of one Baptist church inspired by the Blow the Whistle
campaign.
The congregation of Gilgal Baptist Church in Porthcawl, Wales, blew
whistles down the telephone during a call to the office of their MP,
Madeleine Moon, during a Blow the Whistle Sunday service on 20 May.
Blow the Whistle is an anti-poverty campaign launched by the Micah
Challenge coalition of churches and Christian organisations.
The church's call prompted Ms Moon, Labour MP for
Bridgend, to question Mr Blair during Prime Minister's Question Time on his commitment to the MDGs last Wednesday.
"At 10.42 on Sunday morning, my office answer phone picked up a message from the congregation of Gilgal Baptist Church during their morning service," said Ms Moon.
"They asked me to bring a message to the Prime Minister and the
Chancellor that they should continue to force through the standards and
changes in the Millennium Development Goals. What answer can I take to
them?"
Mr Blair said his reply was "one of complete support".
Micah Challenge focuses on the Millennium Development Goals to halve
extreme poverty by 2015 - agreed by world leaders at the United Nations
Millennium Summit in 2000.
